Maryland State Police shot and killed a dog after it was involved in an attack and charged an officer in Calvert County, police said Wednesday.
A trooper from Prince Frederick Barrack responded to the unit block of Cherry Hill Road and Route 4 in Huntingtown, Md. at about 7:15 a.m. for an animal complaint made by a passing driver. Once on the scene, the officer found a dog actively attacking a woman, 28-year-old Jenna Rae Sutphin, in an overgrown area near the highway, adjacent to the front yard of Sutphin's house.
As the trooper approached, the dog "aggressively began moving towards the trooper," police said in a statement. Fearing for his safety, the trooper shot and wounded the dog with his state-issued .40 caliber pistol, causing the dog to run from the scene.
The trooper began rendering aid to Sutphin prior to the arrival of EMS and deputies from the Calvert County Sheriff's Office. She was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
The dog was found a short distance away from the scene. As officers tried to apprehend it, the dog was shot and killed by police.
Maryland State Police investigators and Calvert County Animal Control responded to the scene and are conducting an investigation.
